Duality
by Howlitzer
Summary: The supernatural, the mechanical, the physical and the spiritual, with everything in between. The future will not be written eloquently, but it will be written...one way or another.
1. First System: Beginnings

a/n: Something new…again. I know, I know…I should be working on my other stories, like that one with the ice…or something. I guess.

Anyways, I've been trying to find a piece where I can really focus and up my writing game, and I think this is it. So I'll probably be taking a lot of time on this one to set all the pieces in place. Assuming I don't forget and just make this a big mess or something. We shall see.

Enjoy.

[Alternate Universe]

**Duality**

_First System – __Beginnings_

She floated on the clouds, eyes made of emerald and sparkling in perpetual beauty.

Her lips were a soft, sensual red, and when she smiled, the warmth of the Sun fell onto one's being.

Perfect teeth, whiter than the best ivories and spotless like diamonds.

Majestic, beautiful wings that shone with detail, strikingly white in the sea of blue around her. The four of them extended outwards, touching the air with what one might call benevolence, the winds ceasing their movement as soon as they neared.

Immaculate white gloves covered her hands, made of an unobtainable fabric that caressed her skin. A slender, peachy arm reached out to touch a cloud as she passed it.

She was petite, in the form of a young hedgehog girl; the curves of her white robes suggested that she had already approached womanhood, but the girlish aura that came from her form gave off a tender innocence, one that drew her towards a love of optimism, and of those lesser than she was.

The soothing rays of the Sun above touched her wiggling pink ears, making her feel warm and happy. She had always cherished the feeling, among others. Her head flickered to one side as she tossed back her styled pink quills, now longer than they were before even as they stayed soft and unruly. Spilling off her shoulders, and running loosely down her back in defiance of the perfection that ruled her body.

She pulled back her hand from the cloud, feeling its coolness and energy. She knew exactly how they and everything around her worked, but every feeling was so fascinating, no matter how many times she would feel them.

A deep love ran within her. Love for the planet that she watched over as she sat in the bright heavens above.

Those heavens were her realm. The Realm of Light.

Her eyes tracked the ground below, wonder and curiosity taking over as she studied every detail of the lands that lay in front of her. A measure of joy bounded within her as everything filtered through her mind, the lush colours, the whimsical textures, the depth, and brightness of what she saw…

A child was in the midst, gathering flowers. Another smile took over her features, and she took it upon herself to greet the child, to see as she saw and share the wonders of nature with a fellow soul.

The child's brown eyes brightened as the being of Light appeared before her; the flora and fauna all jumping with energy and rejoicing in her presence. The roses stood tall; in pinks and reds and whites and even the rarest blues. She smiled as their sweet smells reached her nose.

The mighty trees that stood stoically through nature's wrath bowed before her, and the tall grass parted like water as she walked through it.

"Hello," she said, with a soft and yet mighty voice. So incredibly gentle that it soothed one beyond all pain, so enchanting that one was drawn in as soon as she took a mere breath to speak.

"H-hello…Goddess Rose…"

"Are you afraid, my child?"

"I…I'm happy, and honoured, and…unworthy…" A downcast look to avoid the brightness of her kind protector.

She touched the rabbit girl's cheek; warmth and tenderness poured into the little one's trembling form. "Do not think that way, darling. Would I be here if you were not worthy?"

"I…suppose not…"

"What were you doing just now?"

"Making a flower crown." She held one up for the hedgehog to see. "It's for Mommy."

"A flower crown…will you teach me how to make one?" the goddess asked.

"I will," the rabbit girl said with a smile, clutching her simple brown dress with a blush. "It's very easy."

"I hope so," the goddess replied with a laugh. "May I have your name?"

"My…name…?"

"Yes."

The little girl was confused – Goddess Rose would have known her name from just a glance at her – but she replied anyways, eager to please the woman before her.

"My name is Cream."

Emerald eyes sparkled as the name rolled off the goddess' lips. "Cream…a lovely name."

Such warmth, the little girl thought, from just a single word. A gentle kiss to her soul as the woman of light and love spoke her name.

"You will be called blessed, young Cream. Your name is your own, and I have had the pleasure of hearing from your lips…I know this entire world inside out, even your name. But there is a joy from knowing that your heart beats brightly…that you embrace who you are. Blessed you are, my child, and blessed shall you be."

"Thank you…Goddess…"

A simple, yet elegant smile came in return. "Teach me of yourself, Cream. I would like to know how one creates a crown from flowers."

The rabbit girl sat herself down in the grass, taking flowers from the ground around her with gentle pulls. "They are wonderful presents," she explained.

"Oh? That would be of great use to me. I have a friend that I can give one of these to."

"I'm sure that they will enjoy it."

"I am as well."

The shade of night fell upon the sprawling metropolis. Lights pierced and stabbed the darkness around the tall buildings, leaving dark sky bruised in a dazzling glow, the neon shine bleeding through atmospheric cuts. An ethereal glow was cast over the concrete jungle, a phenomenon recently named light pollution. Some would call the view beautiful in spite of the snarling label attached to its existence.

Where there was dazzling light, deep shadow inevitably followed it, hiding in the forms of the asphalt structures and sky-scraping towers. A figure stood atop one of them, surveying the darkness and chaos that ruled the city, along with the pure light that tried desperately to sort it all out.

Crimson eyes pierced through the darkness with no effort, and chipped shoes told a multitude of tales through their lost fragments of paint. White gloves carried cuts and burns from a violent past, though their integrity was far from compromised.

A simple red vest crafted from ancient fabrics was shrugged over a black shirt with long sleeves. Black jeans were sufficient to cover his legs.

He looked over the city with a quiet indifference – there was no trace of love, hatred, pity, or anything that most would feel towards this land of neon and asphalt.

He grunted as an odd, yet familiar feeling swept past him briefly. It came from one of the mortals below…though he couldn't tell which one at the moment. It was a brief flicker, too brief to make anything out of. Closing his eyes, the God of Darkness disappeared instantly from his position, moving through his pocket dimension and into the Realm of Dark, a place that seemed much like a normal urban hideaway, but with everything washed out to shades of black, white, and grey. In full, it was an inversion of the sprawling Station Square, only with fewer - and far more polite – inhabitants of the supernatural variety. A large portion of the place was taken up by natural habitat that spread throughout the once abandoned areas. What seemed to be the strangest thing was that the entire area was surrounded by a brilliant canvas of stars, actually floating throughout the endless space that was laid out before it. Some that had seen the Realm of Dark and lived to tell the tale often speculated that it was floating in space, orbiting the Earth much like a space station would…

It was an odd realm, always changing and seeming to evolve day by day. The God of Darkness never confirmed or denied that it was his will that made these things happen.

"Shadow!"

He turned his head to the voice for a moment before staring back into space, unmoving as the human girl clad in blue ran to his side. She moved over the silvery grass, feeling it tickle her bare feet. Long blonde hair floated behind her as she caught up to her favourite person, hands on her knees as she stopped and swallowed up fresh air.

Bright blue eyes went along with an even brighter smile, all for the black hedgehog that stood - seemingly indifferently - before her. But she knew better than that, because even though Shadow seemed like a cold being, he loved her more than anyone or anything else. Just as she loved him.

"Is everything alright, Maria?"

She nodded energetically. "Yes, everything's great! Shadow, the stars are so bright! And the mortal world is so pretty! Oh, when will Goddess Rose visit again?"

"I'm not sure. She never mentioned it."

"Ah, I see. Do you have any work for me, Shadow?"

"None at the moment, Maria. You can go out and play, if you'd like."

She shook her head, blonde hair drifting to and fro. "No, no. I want to stay here with you, Shadow. Can we watch the stars together? Can we?"

"I suppose," he said with a shrug.

"Will you follow me, Shadow?"

"You're taking me somewhere?"

She tilted her head to one side. "If that's alright with you, Shadow."

"I don't mind it right now."

She nodded and took his hand in hers, running along the grass towards the edge of the realm. Maria had gotten faster, Shadow noted. It wasn't surprising, since she wasn't a pure mortal any longer.

They had met fifty years before, during an attack on a village during one of the Great Wars. He had saved her from a military raid, though her family wasn't as fortunate. She was left to follow him, and although her life was rough and very dangerous, she wore nothing but a smile for him. He couldn't carry her into his realm because of her mortality, but that changed quickly.

Maria had a rare, incurable disease that attacked her immune system. While she suffered, Shadow could do nothing but watch, his abilities not suited to rescue anyone from their pain. The Goddess of Light appeared and offered a solution, but at a high price – at least for this God of Darkness.

_Grant of me one wish, whatever it might be. I will make this girl whole again, and more than that, I will make it so that she can be by your side, forever and always. Your heart has never wavered like this before, Shadow…I know that you love her, and she loves you more than anything. _

_I know that this will be hard for you, but for a moment…would you put away your pride, and grant me one favour? This girl is so pure…do not let her fall into the beyond because of a stubborn heart._

The only reason he regretted giving her the one wish was because he could never figure the woman out. There was always something…_insane_ running through her head, and he could never figure out what it was until it was too late.

He put the thoughts out of his mind and scooped up Maria into his arms, hearing a yelp of surprise from her as he did so.

"If we're going to the edge of existence, I'll get us there faster."

"Thank you, Shadow," she purred, leaning her head against his shoulder. He let a small smile come to his lips as he ran through the waves of silver grass.


	2. Second System: Directions

_Second System – __Directions_

The taste of fresh dirt was all too familiar.

He rose from his position on the ground, dusting himself off as best as he could before stretching, dark brown eyes wincing at the sunlight that entered them. Fingers acted as a makeshift comb, raking out the remaining clusters of dirt out from untidy brown fur.

Life was rough, as it always had been. Was there a reason to smile anymore? He spent his days asleep in the local park, beneath the huge oak tree that marked its spot in the beginning of the city's history. Station Square was a unique place; it could be heaven or hell, depending on the breaks one got.

"Hey, Sam!"

He turned and waved to his friend approaching. Made fun of for his two tails, the young fox cub had been alone ever since the deaths of his parents years ago. The orphanage had tried to accommodate his need for comfort as well as his growing need for mental stimulation. They had failed in both aspects, leaving the hedgehog to act as the child's family and old scrap yards as his main source of entertainment. The two had permission to wander as long as they made it back to the building at the appropriate times.

"Yo, Tails." The nickname that would have caused grief from anyone else instead brought a smile to the cub's lips. Born Miles Prower, he carried a strong genius and an even stronger sensitivity to the world around him. Words could and would hurt him, but his friend – who was closer to a brother at this point – had mostly put a stop to it in the past while.

"I found something cool in the scrap yard today. It's an old biplane, and it's still intact! In fact, it's pretty much as good as new!"

"Wow. Did you fix it up?"

"Didn't have to. It was just sitting there by itself. Wonder how much it would go for?"

The brown hedgehog, known as Sammy Needlemouse, shrugged and started walking. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his cargo shorts and looked to the sky absentmindedly.

"However much it is, it's too expensive for us right now. That'll change, though."

"Really? How's that?" Tails asked, running up beside him. A loose t-shirt and faded jeans served as his wear for the day.

"I got myself a good paying job. Basically delivering packages an' stuff, but it pays really well. The times are tight, but it's for that reason they want me. I don't need a truck or anything, just maybe a bicycle or skates."

"You _are_ pretty fast."

Sammy brushed leftover dirt from his sweater sleeve. "If I ever went to school, I'd probably get a sports scholarship an' then go pro."

"Why don't you?"

"School's not my thing."

Tails nodded, letting the matter go for the time being. He had overheard a few of the counsellors talking about how Sammy's learning disabilities were part of the reason he couldn't attend a normal school, not to mention his need for movement and his serious claustrophobia. He was a complex guy, though he never tried to be.

The fox then wondered about the job offer that _he_ had received, from a rather large scientist a few months ago. Though he desperately wanted to reply 'yes', he wondered about his friend and his plans. Around this week was the time he was supposed to give his reply to the human.

"So you think we could get out of the orphanage, Sam?"

"I just have to ask for the papers, and we're all set. I'm nearly old enough to be your guardian, and I'd be able to support us both either way."

"Seriously? That's great!" Tails shouted out, his blue eyes filled with excitement.

"Yeah. You can get started on your dreams, too. Anything's possible, now…just gotta work for it. Hard."

"Right…hey, I guess I can tell you about my news later, then."

"What, the plane?"

"Nope," he said with a smile. "Something even cooler."

"Can't wait," the hedgehog said with a smile of his own. "Let's get back."

"Yeah."

The two made their way back to the orphanage, a comfortable silence between them.

A large factory put out smoke and steam at what seemed to be an impossible pace, as machines worked at full capacity inside. Molten steel poured freely into moulds by automated iron pots, and they moved down the assembly line to become various types of shells for robots. Fast, slow, large, and small…these were to become anything that one could think of, and one was indeed thinking of various types of applications for these machines.

The one in charge simply sat at the controls, perched high above the assembly area in his office while he stroked his large, bushy moustache. Goggled eyes analyzed the data filtering down the screen in front of him; he saw something he didn't like and eliminated it with a tap of his finger. The assembly line was changed but barely flinched at doing so, continuing on as planned.

"I should go and see that boy again tomorrow," he said, the thought of the fox coming to him just then. Miles, wasn't it?

He would be a great asset to have in this operation. The boy had genius that nearly rivalled his own, and with just a bit more opportunity, he would surpass even his capabilities. He knew mechanics on such an intricate level, yet he was still a child. A child with a thirst for knowledge that was unquenchable in the pitiable orphanage library.

"Change will come quickly enough. It will become apparent to all of you. Even those deities will stand in shock at my works. This world of ours will shift for the better, with my genius and technology. I will make sure of that."

It was the afternoon of the next day. Sammy sat in the same spot as he usually did, underneath the ancient oak tree. His eyes were downcast as he recalled the events of the night before.

He and Tails had fought. More bitterly than they ever had before.

"…"

The boy had told him about his job offer, from one person that Sammy knew a little too well. His name was Ivo Robotnik, and although he was seen in a good light by the rest of the public, Sammy knew him all too well. The two had met on South Island when Sammy was young, drifting with his parents from a place called Christmas Isle. He barely remembered their faces now…it had been so long ago.

They worked with Robotnik. They lived on the Green Hill site with him, as a family.

They found out what he was really doing.

They died because of it.

His mother's voice still haunted him, her blood flowing into his fur as she laid down her life for his. Her name and face were lost to the wind, to those dark and dreary days afterwards when he had run at her final request. All he did was run. He did it well, too. Very well.

He ran to island after island, finally hitting a continent along the way. He told his story, but nobody would believe him. Only a child, after all. Still, he tried, over and over again. After years of being ignored, laughed at, or shooed away, he slowly started to give up. Slowly started to bottle up those feelings of rage, sadness, and fear. Robotnik didn't know or care who he was. Safety, in some sick way, had finally come at last.

Tails' report shattered that illusion he held onto.

He snapped at it. The boy somehow fought through his tears and found the courage to lash back at him before storming off. Sammy was stifling him, not letting him rise up to more than what he was.

Holding him back.

"Am I…?"

It was certainly possible. But he hated Robotnik. Hated him for what he did.

He was still scared of what he could do now, to him. The thought made Sammy feel sick and uncomfortable. The soothing breeze gave him no more peace. That name _alone_ brought old and fuzzy nightmares back to the surface.

Fear.

"I…I'm scared. More than I've ever been."

Admitting it was easier than before. He wanted Tails to succeed. He wanted the boy to get out of this sham of a life. Everything would simply be okay once he took that opportunity. There had to be a price, though. What was it?

At what cost came the dreams that he reached for? Had Robotnik changed? Maybe…no. Impossible. He had seen those eyes, just hidden behind the eyepieces of his goggles. The smell of burnt flesh and blood shaking him inside out. Bodies on the floor.

The devil staring him down.

The devil.

"…"

_You cannot turn from contracts signed in blood, you know._

A passing joke by his mother.

How right she was, in the end. Her contract remained.

Her blood sealed it, as it spilled over him.

_Run…and never stop. For me…_

You can't unbind a blood contract, can you? No matter how much he wanted to stop, or how he needed to, he couldn't. Running was his life. A contract. An eternal contract.

No outs. She had to know it from the start.

Sammy rose and headed to the scrap yard, old sneakers hitting the pavement in long strides. He ran and pushed the thoughts out of his mind, jumping and flipping off of the concrete obstacles in his path. Needing a shortcut, he scaled a brick wall and vaulted over it in a front flip, landing neatly before taking off.

A truck was making a delivery, blocking off his immediate path. Spotting a light post, he took hold and climbed it, vaulting off the top and catching a nearby power line. He jumped towards the nearby wall and then bounded off it, doing the same as he landed against the truck. Rolling as he hit the ground, he took off sprinting again; hurdling fruit stands down the street. Pedestrian traffic appeared; his feet took him along the side of the building nearby as he moved past stunned faces. A uniformed officer moved to seize him, but he ducked into an alley and shot down it. The path split, he took a left, and the cop followed.

His eyes spotted a dumpster, and he used it to jump up towards the overhanging ladder just ahead. Pulling himself up, he accidentally let it down for the trailing officer, who surged after him as he wound up the metallic staircase towards the roof. Sammy saw the drop as he reached the roof. Paying it no mind, he jumped downwards and bounded off the wall, repeating the action until he reached a safe distance above the ground. He fell and took off in a hurry, leaving the officer behind as he reached the roof edge.

The law was no trouble to Sammy, but he felt that he didn't have the time for police business. Those hassles could wait. The scrap yard was ahead, and he acknowledged the old man at the front before searching for Tails. The fox was busy staring at the biplane he had seen the day before.

"It's nice."

Tails turned around, surprised to see the hedgehog at all. A scowl then crossed his face as he recalled last night.

"I guess…with that new job of yours, you'll be able to get it, no problem."

"Sammy…"

"Miles, buddy…I'm really sorry. I'm sorry."

"…I know. Me too…"

They rushed to each other and met in a tearful hug.

"Do what you have to…no matter what me or anybody else says. Follow your dreams. Be strong, okay?"

"I will…! But…"

The fox looked at his friend, confused. "Aren't you coming with me? You said that we'd be together, no matter what! Doc Robotnik even said he had something set up for you, too!"

"Me…?"

"Yeah. I told him how you could move fast, so he said that he needed someone for deliveries and stuff."

"Heh…he's probably got all sorts of flying machines, though. I'm barely as fast as a car on a city street…"

"Do not worry, my child. I will have use for you yet."

Standing behind them was a large human, his round body and long legs casting a shadow on the two smaller creatures. He wore a black three-piece suit, obviously tailored to suit his needs. The gold chain of a watch hung from one of the many pockets on his person. A wooden pipe was jammed between his teeth like an ornament, smoke slowly billowing from it.

"Doctor Robotnik? What're you doing here?" Tails asked. Sammy stood in silence, his swirling emotions muting him.

"I've come to see about your decision," the man said as he stroked his large, bushy moustache.

"Oh, okay. Well," he patted Sammy on the arm, "I've just talked to my best pal here, and he says to follow my heart, so…I'm gonna do it! As long as he gets to come, too. And run a lot, he likes running!"

"Whatever you ask shall be given to you, my boy. I suggest that we return you to your home and get your belongings packed. We'll leave by the end of the night, once the paperwork is signed."

"Awesome! You hear that, Sam?"

"Y-yeah…"

Sammy knew that he had to swallow a lot for Tails' sake. He knew he could do it.

It would just be harder than anything he had ever done before.


End file.
